Brothers Sentenced in Switzerland Over Moroccan Drug Ring

GENEVA — Two brothers who worked for financial firms were sentenced to prison on Tuesday for laundering money through Swiss bank accounts for a Moroccan drug smuggling ring, Geneva authorities said.

The two men were part of a family network thought to be run by Swiss and French citizens of Moroccan origin selling cannabis from North Africa to France and Spain, said the Geneva judicial authority.

Swiss and French authorities launched an investigation code-named 'Virus' in October after they discovered a safe hidden behind a wardrobe in Geneva holding cash and valuables worth around 3 million Swiss francs ($3.25 million).

Investigators arrested 20 people and froze accounts at several Geneva banks.

Switzerland is seeking to widen the powers of its anti-money laundering unit as part of a campaign to shed its image as a tax haven.